The Night Is Yours

April 1, 2019
On hot summer nights, Amani's parents permit her to go outside and play in the apartment courtyard, where the breeze is cool and her friends are waiting. The children jump rope to the sounds of music as it floats through a neighbor's window, gaze at stars in the night sky, and play hide-and-seek in the moonlight. It is in the moonlight that Amani and her friends are themselves found by the moon, and it illumines the many shades of their skin, which vary from light tan to deep brown. In a world where darkness often evokes ideas of evil or fear, this book is a celebration of things that are dark and beautiful--like a child's dark skin and the night in which she plays. The lines "Show everyone else how to embrace the night like you. Teach them how to be a night-owning girl like you" are as much an appeal for her to love and appreciate her dark skin as they are the exhortation for Amani to enjoy the night. There is a sense of security that flows throughout this book. The courtyard is safe and homelike. The moon, like an additional parent, seems to be watching the children from the sky. The charming full-bleed illustrations, done in washes of mostly deep blues and greens, make this a wonderful bedtime story. Vital messages of self-love for darker-skinned children. (Picture book. 3-7)

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Starred review from July 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-Debut author Zachariah and illustrator Bobo (I Am Enough) team up to bring an affirmation of Blackness and celebration of night. During a hot summer evening in the courtyard of an apartment building a group of Black children gather to play now that the day has cooled. Adults and older siblings watch from windows over the courtyard as the children begin a game of hide-and-seek in the early moonlight. A father's loving voice narrates to his daughter, Amani, what he sees as he watches closely by. He tells how the moon gleams off the skin of "the different browns and tans" of the little girl and her friends, and how they "giggle the quietest of giggles" that he can hear all the way up to where he watches. He sees her joy and frustration as the game goes on, and sends her "silent strength," and a silent reminder "that some things aren't easy," showing her how he wants to give her the space to be in the world, but also know she is loved and protected. Bobo's acrylic, oil, and digital double-page spreads capture the summer night as the courtyard embraces the children in their nighttime play, and are juxtaposed with spreads where Amani is held up in the expansive night sky. Zacharia's lyrical language aches to be read aloud and second-person narrative makes this a perfect book to share one-on-one or in storytime. VERDICT Debut author Zachariah is an author to note; a must-purchase for libraries.-Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2019
Grades K-2 In his debut children's book Zachariah paints a story with words that captures the neighborhood adventures of a little girl named Amani. While her parents watch her play with friends from their living room window, the story follows Amani as she explores her environment at night through a game of hide-and-seek. Throughout the story, engaging illustrations illuminate the culture of children living in the city who routinely play outside after dark in front of their buildings or homes. The author and illustrator do a great job of showcasing and constructing a neighborhood that is safe and loving, where all children can have fun. This is done while simultaneously affirming the African American characters as being as beautiful and familiar as the night: The night is an extension of your skin, all of you children . . . the darkness of the night is yours. The Night Is Yours explores the beauty of the night and the innocence of childhood, making it a delightful story to share with young readers of all backgrounds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)